Piston-ring tool



June 5, 1923. ssmw M. S. LINTON PISTON RING TOOL Filed Oct. 13 1921 Patented June 5, i923.

Leidtifit? MICHAEL S. LINTON, 0F MEE'IPHIS, TENNESSEE.

PISTON-RING TOOL.

Application filed October 13, 1921.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL S. LINTON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Memphis, in the countyof Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Piston-Ring Tools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tools to be used in applying piston rings to pistons of internal combustion engines and placing the pistons with the rings thereon in their cylinders.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character so constructed that while providing means for installing the piston rings on the piston will thus pro vide a tool having sufiicient rigidity so that when in operative position it will form a perfect cylinder free to move upand down on the piston without binding; clamping on the rings and not on the piston.

Another object is to so construct the tool that it may be opened to allow the large end of the connecting rod to pass through the tool in engines where only one end of the cylinder is open and the connecting rod end is. larger than the Dist-on.

Another object is to provide a device of this character composed of hingedly connected sections equipped with locking means so constructed that when the latch is closed the free edges will be drawn in close contact forming a perfect circle.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown, clescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the tool constituting this improvement shown closed in full lines and open in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with the tool in position on the piston with one of the rings ready to be applied to the piston, and

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the tool in the act of inserting the piston in the cylinder of an engine the cylinder being shown broken away and in section.

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the tool constituting this invention is designated at 1 being cylindrical in form and composed of two semi-cylindrical sections 2 and 3 Serial No. 507,448.

hingedly connected at one edge as shown at and having locking means 5 at their free edges for uniting them in closed position. The sections 2 and 3 are composed of metal sufficiently thick to form a rigid unyieldable structure when the lock 5 is closed so that a complete circle or cylinder will be formed which will slip readily over the piston P without binding.

The cylinder 1 is chamfered or cut away on its outer face, for portion of its length, to provide the cylinder with two outer diameters, and such chamfering or cutting away of the cylinder provides a reduced portion 6 for the reception of the piston rings R, and further provides the shoulder 7, intermediate the ends of the cylinder to limit the rearward movement of the rings when mounted on the cylinder 1. The free end of the reduced portion 6, of the cylinder 1, is beveled.

Then the tool is employed for applying or installing piston rings on the piston the sections 2 and 3 are opened and the tool placed circumferentially around the piston P and then closed and locked by the lock B as is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The rings are then slipped over the reduced end f the tool and the tool is moved down the piston and as each groove therein is exposed a ring is pushed off the tool into the groove, each in its turn, the operation being shown clearly in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 3 the tool is shown used for installing the piston within the cylinder C the rings having first been installed on the piston as above described, the tool is placed circumferentially around the piston and locked thereby closing the rings to approximately the diameter of the piston. The piston and tool are then placed at the open end of the cylinder and the piston is pushed into the cylinder, each ring slipping easily into the cylinder in its turn.

The provision of the reduced portion C of the tool also provides space or clearance to allow the tool to come in close contact with the end of the cylinder in engines the component parts of which would not permit such contact without such provision, at the same time it is necessary to keep the body of the tool of sufficient thickness to insure rigidity so that when the tool is closed it will form a perfect cylinder or circle free to move up or down on the piston, clamping on the rings and not on the piston.

The lock 5 as shown comprises a latch member 8 pivoted at one end to the section 2 adjacent the free edge thereof and provided at its free end with obliquely inclined slots 9 which is designed to fit over a headed stud 10 carried by the section 3 adjacent its free end said slot being at such an angle so that when the lock is closed as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 it will draw the edges of the sections 2 and 3 in close contact thereby forming a perfect cylinder.

From the above description it will be obvious that by the use of this tool the piston rings may be quickly applied to the piston head and the head with the'rings thereon placed within the cylinder in a minimum amount of time. Moreover the device is of an extremely simple construction and may be readily and quickly manufactured and yet is durable and effective and useful in operation.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawing, and set forth in the specification, but it will be understood that any modifications within the scope of the claimed invention may be made in the construct-ion without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

I claim 1. A. piston ring tool comprising a hollow cylindrical body formed with two outer diameters thereby'providing a shoulder in-' termediate the end of said body and further providing said body with a reduced portion,

that part of said body of smaller diameter forming a piston ring receiving portion and said shoulder limiting the rearward movement of the rings with respect to said body when mounted on said portion of smaller diameter, said body portion formed of two semi-cylindrical sections hinged at one side and detachably connected. together at the other side and with the edges of one section abutting throughout against the edges of the other section.

2. A. piston ring tool comprising a hollow cylindrical body formed with two outer diameters thereby providing a shoulder intermediate the end of said body and further providing said body with areduced portion, that part of said body of smaller diameter forming a piston ring receiving portion and said shoulder limiting the rearward move ment of the rings with respect to said body when mounted on said portion of smaller diameter, said body formed of two semicylindrical sections, means for hinging the sections together at one side and with the edges of one section abutting throughout against the edges'of the other section, a headed stud secured to one of the sections at the other side thereof, and a rectangular latch pivotally connected at one end to the other side of the other of said sections and having an obliquely disposed slot near its free end for the reception of said stud to draw said sections together in abutting re lation.

In testimony whereof, I atlix my signature hereto.

MICHAEL LINTON. 

